This first picture is the bar back in the day before hurricane Wilma nearly destroyed everything. The bar had to be redone and raised up a few more feet. The indoor restaurant flooded completely and was torn down. Last time I checked, they were planning on building little yacht club or something there. I'm hoping the atmosphere stays the same, because the last thing this place needs is more snooty yachtsmen parading by. The indoor restaurant was the nicest part of the whole thing, but not so obnoxious. Just outside that room was an outdoor deck that had an in -between atmosphere.
The bar was and is the most relaxed and the most fun, surrounded by tables and chairs and a small stage. Nightlife at Lor-e-Lei is great, but one of my fondest memories is being there in the middle of winter, sitting at the bar, drinking hot chocolate and eating a bagel while a pelican eyes the food from its perch nearby.
This is the bar now:
A little bit nicer, a tad higher. I really miss the giant "BAR" sign, as does everyone else who goes there. That sign was a real part of the place, and now it's gone. The atmosphere is similar, but part of it disappeared along with that sign. I guess if there's going to be a yacht club, there has to be a mild amount of dignity at the place. But apparently bare breasted mermaids everywhere are still okay. And that's Lor-e-Lei.
And this is the obnoxiously huge mermaid sign that sits by the side of the road to bring you in:
No comments:
Post a Comment